Absent
by Aiiro Hoshi
Summary: Sorry, he said quietly, a small hum in his tone. Pointing at himself, he continued, He's not here any more. Pride!Ed One Shot.


**Brief Commentary:  
**Inspired by numina-namine's "FMA: From Now Onwards" on DeviantART. I really felt a poke when I looked at it (okay, it was more like a stab made with a steak knife, but all the same), and suddenly I had to do some kind of fanfic for it. No matter how short. Seriously. So...uh...if it sucks, let's just call it a drabble then. :D I also had inspiration/help from Imogen Heap's 'Hide and Seek.' Which is officially my new favorite song. Basically, this is a Pride!Ed & Winry moment, although there isn't any actual romancing going on. Um...review if you feel like it.

_Where are we?  
What the hell is going on?  
The dust has only just begun to fall  
Crop circles in the carpet  
Sinking feeling..._

* * *

**Absent  
**_One Shot_

He wasn't certain how long they had stood like that. Him, in the doorway, the sun sinking into the horizon behind him, and she, trembling and tearful; afraid as the shadows grew longer around her. In his right hand, he held a dangling silver pocket watch, not entirely sure what he was supposed to do with it. _He_ had told him to come here, and bring the watch, before _he _had faded from existence completely. It was frustrating, he had found, but there was nothing he could do now.

Eventually she opened the door wide enough for him to step inside the dark house, stained red and purple from the falling dusk. He noticed that she did not close it behind him.  
Deciding that this would be the best course of action, he held out the pocket watch for her to take, letting it swing back in forth in what he found to be a fascinating rhythm. Slowly she outstretched her fingers and clasped its smooth metal surface, and he allowed it to drop into her hands. With little difficulty she pried the lid open, and he did not miss the choking noise she made as she read the confusing message inside.

He had also discovered such numbers and letters, but he had little idea of what to make of them. Perhaps they had been important to _him_, although why numbers and letters would be so important to a mere human was beyond his knowledge. Humans were often known for their sentimentalities. From the tears continuously flowing down her face, he assumed that she knew what the significance of the message was; not that he cared.

"E...Ed?" he heard her sob, her clouded blue eyes turning hopefully towards his face. For a few moments he stared blankly at her, not sure what she had implied by that one word. After a few more seconds had passed, he realized.

That had been _his_ name.

"Sorry," he said quietly, a small hum in his tone. Pointing at himself, he continued, "He's not here any more."  
She stared at him, her complexion pulled into one of confusion and misery. "Wh...what?"  
Patiently, he repeated,  
"He's not here."

More tears slipped down her cheeks as she tried to understand what she must've thought to be a vague answer. Wasn't he being perfectly clear? Perhaps, she, a human and therefore of more lowly intelligence, couldn't quite comprehend. Tucking a few strands of his long hair behind a pale-fleshed ear, he tilted his head to look down at her, staring into her wet blue eyes with his blank golden ones.  
"Is...he...is he dead?" she asked him, her voice little over a whisper. He heard it perfectly. Offering her a shrug as if to say 'He could be called that,' he answered again with,  
"He just isn't here anymore."  
"...If he...if he's...not there, then...who are you?"  
Again with her questions...he stood there silently, watching her with wary eyes as she extended a trembling hand to trace over the markings on his right arm, while her eyes took in the remainder of his body, from his black clothes to his bare feet...he noticed her gaze linger on his left leg a little longer than was necessary. She was still tracing circles onto his skin with a single calloused finger. She suddenly met his eyes again, and he could see that she was still waiting for an answer.

"I am Pride," he answered simply.

"P...Pride?"  
He did not bother to repeat himself this time.  
"So...Ed...Ed died...huh?" she tried at a pathetic smile, although he wasn't sure why she would attempt such a show of happy emotion when she was so obviously 'heart-broken,' as Envy had mockingly called it. Speaking of Envy, he realized, he had agreed to meet him on the edge of town sometime after dusk...he would have leave this miserable scene soon.  
"And...you're P-Pride..."  
He nodded patiently.

He was taken completely by surprise when she flung her arms around him and began to sob hysterically, clinging to his rigid, pale body for support. At first he considered shaking her off, but he took pity on this unfortunate human and awkwardly wrapped one arm around her torso, while his other hand patted her gently on the head. His eyes stared soullessly ahead, blank and emotionless as ever.

After several minutes had passed, she pulled back, furiously wiping the tears from her face. She apologized under her breath, bowing her head as she stepped away from him. He nodded in return, not certain as to what he should do next. They stood in silence again, his eyes flickering towards the windows and the open door. He heard each individual cricket chirp their song and saw every firefly that lit the grasses for a brief instant, before their light died. So like a human life, he mused to himself.

Remembering how impatient Envy could get when he was kept waiting, he glanced back at her for a brief moment before he turned and walked out the door. He had no intention of ever seeing her again, and she probably had no wish to be reminded of _him _should she meet him again.

There was no good bye, no fare well, or even an echo of such a thing in either of their heads as he left through the door she had left open for him. They didn't know each other - they were merely connected in a warped way by the life that _he_ had used to lead.

So be it.

_Fin._


End file.
